CPS ENERGY LAUNCHES REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL AIMED AT SECURING 700 MW OF SOLAR GENERATION
May 3, 2023 (SAN ANTONIO) – CPS Energy, the largest municipally owned electric and natural gas utility in the United States, has issued the first Request for Proposal (RFP) as part of the utility’s previously approved Generation Plan to obtain up to 700 megawatts (MW) of additional solar energy for its generation portfolio. Responses are welcomed from local, small and diverse businesses as well as large, well-known firms. This RFP is the first of a two-part effort to increase solar generation and diversify community solar options for CPS Energy customers. A separate RFP for community solar is under development and will be released in the coming months.
“We know that clean energy is important to our community, and our RFP for up to 700 MW of solar capacity will secure more energy for our growing community in the near future,” said Rudy D. Garza, President & CEO of CPS Energy. “We look forward to the responses we will receive from this process and will work to select the providers that align with both CPS Energy’s and our community’s needs.”
CPS Energy has 551 MW of existing solar capacity and in Fiscal Year 2023, CPS Energy secured an additional 580 megawatts (MW) of solar, along with 50 MW of storage and 500 MW of natural gas firming capacity. With 1,131 MW of solar generation already under contract, CPS Energy is an environmental and solar leader, ranking number one among Texas utilities for solar generation while San Antonio is number five nationally according to the 2022 Environment Texas Research & Policy Center’s Shining Cities report. In January of this year, the utility’s Board of Trustees also voted on and approved a blend of gas, solar, wind and energy storage as part of the generation planning process, aimed at how to power San Antonio into the future. When the RFP is complete, CPS Energy expects to have over 1,800 MW of solar generation operational or under contract to serve the community in the future.
The following are key dates for the RFP:
| Milestone | Date |
| RFP Issuance | May 02, 2023 |
| Deadline for submittal of questions, after which CPS Energy may not respond | May 10, 2023 by 5:00 p.m. CST |
| Deadline for Proposal Submittal | June 1, 2023 by 5:00 p.m. CST |
All participants can view the RFP and must submit information through this link. After the closing date, CPS Energy will begin evaluations with a goal of making selections in the summer of 2023.
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About CPS Energy
Established in 1860, CPS Energy is the nation’s largest community-owned provider of electric and natural gas services. We provide safe, reliable, and competitively priced services to 907,526 electric and 373,998 natural gas customers in San Antonio and portions of seven adjoining counties. Our customers’ combined energy bills rank among the lowest of the nation’s 20 largest cities while generating $9 billion in revenue for the City of San Antonio over the last 80 years. Our Vision 2027 strategic plan is designed to guide CPS Energy through rapid transformational change in our city. As a trusted and reliable community partner, we continuously focus on job creation, economic development, and educational investment. We are powered by our skilled workforce, whose commitment to the community is demonstrated through our employees’ volunteerism, our community engagement efforts and programs aimed at bringing value and assistance to our customers.
